News, crafts, recipes and more from the New England Confectionery Company (NECCO).

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Valentine’s Day season is in full swing, and we couldn’t be having more fun! Our delicious Sweethearts Candies are keeping our taste buds happy and also are inspiring our minds to really get creative with them! Today, we have yet another fun Valentine’s Day DIY made using our classic candy that will add a little bit of sweetness to your day! We believe it’s not Valentine’s Day unless there’s a little bit of love everywhere you go, and this adorable Sweethearts Candy Initial is just that perfect touch of love to sweeten your work space, especially if you’re dreading the terrible winter weather outdoors!

Enjoy the fun DIY & be sure to check in again for more Sweethearts Series ideas!

Supplies Needed:

Cardboard / card stock

Pink construction paper

Squeeze Glue Bottle or Glue Stick

Ruler

Scissors

Pencils

Sweethearts!

Instructions:

1. Use a ruler to outline your Initial on thick cardboard or card stock.

2. Prior to cutting out your letter, lay out your Sweethearts on the outlined initial. This will help you see if you need to adjust the size of the letter to properly and securely fit your candies. (Tip: We took a picture of the proposed layout of the Sweethearts to reference later when we were gluing them down!)

3. Cut out your letter, and then use it as a stencil to trace out the initial on the construction paper as well. You will then need to cut out the construction paper letter.

4. Evenly spread the glue across the cardboard letter. (Tip: we used a scrap piece of the card stock as an edge to make sure the glue was spread across the entire letter in an even, smooth layer.) Take the construction paper cut out letter, and slowly place it onto the cardboard letter.

After Wednesday’s Sweethearts Series post, our sweet tooth really kicked into high gear! Today, we bring you another yummy treat that will satisfy your taste buds and also be the perfect addition to any Valentine’s Day celebration: funfetti cupcakes! This flavor really reflects the fun you have spending times with loved ones and is the perfect mix to complement our multiple flavors of Sweethearts. To decorate these cupcakes, we love picking Sweethearts that have our favorite messages on them and placing them on top for each special guest. These delicious Cupcake Creations make for a delicious personal treat that you’ll want to make over and over again!

Ingredients & Baking Supplies:

1 & ½ cups flour

1 cup sugar

1 & ½ tsp baking powder

8 Tbsp butter, unsalted & softened

¼ cup whole milk

1 egg

2 egg whites

1 & ¼ tsp vanilla extract

¼ tsp salt

sprinkles/jimmies

vanilla frosting of your choice

kitchen or hand mixer

medium and large mixing bowls

measuring spoons

frosting spatula

whisk

cupcake liners

Sweethearts

Instructions:

Pre-heat oven to 350°F or slightly warmer to 375°F depending on the size and strength of your oven.

Line your cupcake tray with cupcake liners.

In the medium mixing bowl, gently whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In the large mixing bowl, use a kitchen or hand mixer to blend together the sugar and the butter. The speed best used is medium-high, and it should be beat until the mixture is completely blended and has a fluffier texture to it. You want to blend until there are no clumps.

Add the egg and egg whites, one at a time, into the large mixing bowl, and again using the mixer, beat until the eggs are completely blended into the butter/sugar mixture.

Once this is completely combined, blend in the vanilla extract until completely combined. Thoroughly mix to avoid clumps of ingredients.

Once ready, gradually stir in the dry mixture from the medium mixing bowl and the milk in increments to the mix. On a low speed, use the mixer to blend until ingredients are just combined.

Add the sprinkles/jimmies into the mixed batter and carefully, using either your hands or a frosting spatula, work them evenly throughout the mix.

Pour the mix into the lined cupcake tray 2/3 of the way full in each liner. This will give the cupcakes room to expand without overflowing when they bake.

Bake for approximately 18 minutes. You do not want to over-bake here. The best way to tell that your cupcakes are ready is to use a tooth pick to poke into the cupcake. When it comes out clean without cupcake batter on it, they are ready. Tip: it’s sometimes helpful to rotate the cupcake tray halfway through baking to ensure complete baking coverage.

Remove the cupcakes from the oven and move the tray to either a wire cooling rack or a cooled counter top in order for them to cool completely; allow several minutes for them to cool. Note: It is very important to wait this out. Attempting to frost warm cupcakes will tear up the top of the cupcake.

Once cooled, use either a frosting spatula or a frosting pastry bag, to frost the cupcake. We added some colored sugar sprinkles on top for show.

Decorate your frosted cupcakes with Sweethearts featuring your favorite sayings, and then it’s time to share and enjoy!

Valentine’s Day is such a wonderful time of year, and we’ve been having so much fun celebrating it with our Sweethearts Series!

Over the years, we have seen so many amazing, unique Sweethearts creations that our wonderful fans have created that have inspired us to get really innovative with how we craft and bake with Sweethearts. Today, we switch from a DIY tutorial to a quick and easy yummy recipe that’s perfect for a lunch bag snack for your little one or any Valentine’s Day celebration. It combines a classic beloved dessert: crisped rice treats with our classic beloved candy: Sweethearts – talk about a “can’t beat it” combo!

Enjoy today’s delicious anytime recipe, and be on the lookout for some more Sweethearts fun tomorrow!

Ingredients & Supplies:

4 Tbsp butter

10 oz marshmallows

6 cups crisped rice cereal

cupcake tray

white chocolate

kitchen mallet

zipped plastic sandwich bag

Sweethearts

Instructions:

Melt butter in a medium saucepan over low heat, adding in marshmallows until completely melted. Remove from heat and stir in crisped rice cereal until well mixed.

While still warm, press the prepared mix into each of the spaces in the cupcake tray. (Tip: spraying the tray with cooking spray first prevents sticking!) Allow to cool completely in the tray.

Place the Sweethearts in a zipped plastic bag, and crush them with a small kitchen mallet.

While mixture is cooling, melt the white chocolate in the microwave for 15-30 seconds to prevent burning.

Remove the cooled bites from the cupcake tray then dip them first into the melted white chocolate then the crushed Sweethearts – maybe even add a full one or two Sweethearts for show on top!

Second day of Sweethearts Series, and this treat is one of our favorites! It’s very simple to make but is sure to be a hit with the kids!

Candy can create some of the sweetest memories during your childhood, and you always remember your favorite sweets and the happy feelings you had with them when you were growing up. Some of the most fun was had with the novel items, like candy necklaces, that kept you laughing endlessly with how unique, and sometimes silly, they were. Today, we hope to capture some of that sweet, sweet childhood fun with our very own Valentine’s Day Candy Necklace!

So, grab these few supplies, and get ready for you and your little one to share some laughs as you enjoy this delicious treat!

Place a Sweetheart onto a microwave safe plate, making sure the text is facing down towards the place. Place one of the white chocolate chips centered on the Sweetheart and microwave this for about 15-30 seconds to soften the chocolate.

Take a piece of food-safe string, and press it down on the melted piece of chocolate.

Take a second Sweetheart with the text facing up, and place it on top of the chocolate and string. Press together firmly yet delicately.

Repeat this as many times as you’d like on the string.

Prior to placing it on your neck, let cool at least one hour for chocolate to set. Enjoy!

Inspired by the adorable little turkeys over at Clean & Scentsible, we couldn’t resist putting a slight NECCO spin on this awesome craft. While we love the Christmas season as much as everyone else, it’s a can’t miss when we get the opportunity to spotlight Thanksgiving! It’s such a special time spent making memories with loved ones, and of course, eating delicious homecooked food – simply the best!

These cute turkeys will make the perfect favor for your holiday guests, and they undoubtedly will delight all the little ones! Filled with our chocolaty Mighty Malts malted milk balls, there’s no doubt they will add the perfectly sweet crunch to your dessert table on Thanksgiving Day!

Cut a circle or square from the mesh netting. Place a pile Mighty Malts in the center, tying it closed together like a sack with the elastic band or ribbon.

To make the feet, take your yellow (we used a glittered golden one here to match the head) and fold it in half. Use one of the halves to create the foot by bending it into three equal-length toes. Cut the other end of the leg to your desired length.

Insert the legs into the body through the holes of the mesh. They will be secure, and you can adjust the length even more here by pushing the legs in or pulling them out more.

Take your darkest pipe cleaner (brown or here we used a glittered golden one) and roll it up from one end, leaving a few inches flat and unrolled. This will be the turkey’s head.

Cut a one inch piece of orange for the beak and a one inch piece of red for the wattle. Bend each of these in half over the outside wrap of the head. You can adjust their length by cutting the ends with your scissors. It works best to twist these pieces once you bent them over the head, helping them to stay in place.

Glue a googly eye on each side of the head using the squeeze glue. Press tightly until they stay in place.

Set these on your dessert table and get ready for some big Thanksgiving smiles! Enjoy! =)

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